At the invitation of Les Grands Ballets, two young European choreographers are following in the footsteps of the greatest choreographers of the 20th and 21st centuries by revisiting two of Stravinsky’s legendary compositions for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, which took Paris by storm just before the First World War.
Set to a dazzling score inspired by the Russian legend of The Firebird, American choreographer Bridget Breiner imagines an ode to hope, to inspiration and to faith in a new world.
Ivan Cavallari, Les Grands Ballets’ Artistic Director, follows up with Presto-Detto. Set to the score of Vivaldi, this dance unites five dancers, five stories and five ways of expressing the fury of life!
Breiner’s imagination bursts through once more with In Honour of. Taking inspiration from Georges Pelecis’ composition from In Honour of Henry Purcell, this opus traces movements to explore the conflicting forces and willpower necessary for honest creativity, bridging both devotion and inspiration in their dazzling dance for primacy.
To conclude to this triple bill, Étienne Béchard, formerly of the prestigious Béjart Ballet Lausanne, takes on The Rite of Spring, described by Stravinksy as a “great pagan ritual” echoing the awakening of the forces of nature. Through its unique rhythm, this seminal work of incomparable telluric richness propelled music and dance into the modern age. This feast of sounds and colours is a real breath of fresh air!
